Fredrick greenwald



P. GREENWALD. V RAILWAY SWITCH.

(No Model.)

Patented. Aug. 18, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDRIOK GREENWALD, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,894, dated August 18, 1896. Application filed March 9, 1896. $eria1l1'm 582,327. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK GREEN- WALD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, of which the following specification is a true and exact description, due reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in railway ton gue-switches, and has for its object to provide a switch more efficient than those heretofore used.

In the usual tongue-switch employed in street-railway tracks the tongue lies in a fiatbottomed pocket and is hinged upon a vertical pivot-pin. With the switch occupying its usual place in the track, that is, on the inside of the curve, the tongue affords wheelsupport throughout its length for a car traveling on the straight track, and it is therefore desirable that the top of the tongue should be level and of the same height as the rail-head in order that the wheel may pass smoothly along it. When the tongue is thrown so as to act as a guard for the wheel and deflect it into the curved track, it is desirable that the tongue be higher than the head of the rail as the guard of the rail is higher than the head, and for the same purpose. This end has been attained heretofore by thickening the tongue at a point near the middle and tapering it off toward each end. This, however, caused a bad hump in the tongue and consequent jolt as the car passed over it.

By ,my invention I am enabled to provide a tongue-switch in which a perfectly level tread-surface is provided for both tracks and at the same time the point of the tongue, where it is first engaged by a wheel taking the curved track, is elevated the required amount when set for the curved track.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a general top view of a tongue-switch embodying my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sections, respectively, on lines X X, Y Y, and Z Z, all of Fig. 1.

In the drawings,F is the frame of the switch, having the pocket P and tongue T therein.

The pocket at the pivot end of the tongue, as at section Z Z, is formed with a horizontal floor, but as it approaches the point of the tongue the floor is inclined upward toward one side of the pocket. The tongue is correspondingly formed on the bottom, the whole being arranged, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:, so that as the tongue is set for the straight track it is level throughout its length with the rail-head, but as it is thrown for the curve track the point is raised an amount sufficient to insure its forming an efficient guard. The position of the tongue when set for the curve track is shown at T in Figs. 2 and 3, where the elevation is clearly seen. This elevation is most necessary at the point where the car-Wheel first strikes the side of the tongue, which point is a short distance from the end, and it is therefore raised its maximum at this end. The rear end of the tongue being usually provided with a permanent guard g, it is not necessary that this end should be elevated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway tongue-switch, a pocket adapted to receive a tongue, a portion of the floor of said pocket being inclined in such manner as to elevate or lower a portion of the tongue as it is thrown from side to side.

2. In a railway tongue-switch, a tongue having a portion of its under side inclined from one side to the other.

3. In a railway tongue-switch,in combination with the frame of the switch, a pocket having a floor, a portion of'which is inclined from one side of the switch to the other and a tongue in said pocket, its under side mating with the floor of the pocket, whereby a level wheel-tread is formed for one track and an elevated guard for the other.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIOK GREENWALD.

Witnesses:

WALTER P. PLUMMER, CHAS. E. COREY. 

